Sexual Offenses

Sexual Offenses

Sexual Offenses are among the most serious in Colorado, with penalties far more severe than people expect. Please contact us immediately if you have been charged with, or are under suspicion of, a sexual offense. Accusations of this sort create a bias against you from the start, and an intense legal battle is about to begin.

The law in Colorado provides for possible life prison sentences for some felony sexual offenses. Even misdemeanor offenses require sex offense registration, and involve very difficult probation. In many cases, the defendant will be prohibited from contact with people under the age of 18, making many employment opportunities impossible.

Sex offenses may require the judge to impose an indeterminate sentence, which means that there is no defined end date. Someone sent to prison with an indeterminate sentence may never be released, and the sentence can become a life prison sentence. Prison officials will decide if the defendant ever gets released, and the courts will no longer be involved once the sentence is ordered. These decision- making prison officials have no incentive to release the defendant, and they face the serious political danger of making the wrong decision regarding the release of a convicted sex offender. The result is that someone sent to prison for a sex offense may never be released.

Probation for more serious offenses is lifetime probation. Any failure on this probation can result in a lifetime prison sentence. Sex offense probation is extremely demanding, with abundant opportunities for failure. The defendant will be required to take polygraph examinations, and may be required to ask for the probation officer's permission simply to associate with friends and family. The defendant may even be prohibited from having contact with his own family.

Retaining a Boulder criminal defense attorney immediately is essential when you have been charged with any sexual offense. The laws and rules of evidence involved in these cases are different than for other criminal charges. Experienced representation is needed to navigate you through this very dangerous type of criminal case.

Internet Luring of a Child

Internet Luring of a Child and Sexual Exploitation of a Child are charges related to having inappropriate communications with an underage person through the internet. These charges continue to grow in numbers, with local law enforcement agencies performing more and more sting operations all the time. These cases usually involve a fictitious victim — a police detective that is posing online as an underage person. A case like this is treated much more seriously if an attempt was made to meet the underage individual in person. If the defendant sets up a meeting with the fictitious victim, he will actually arrive to meet a team of Sheriff's deputies. If you are unable to avoid a conviction, it is essential for your attorney to try to resolve the case in a manner that does not involve an indeterminate sentence.